as in ditch
a long narrow channel dug in the earth
dug a trench and filled it with water in an attempt to keep the forest fire off her property
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of trench
Makeshift trenches with food supplies and utensils belonging to the miners were also dismantled, with clothing items left behind after the miners fled the site in Randfontein, about 25 miles west of Johannesburg.
—
Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
Its longer length offers a bit more coverage than a usual cropped raincoat, and is less cumbersome than a full-length trench.
—Alexandra Pereira, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Beneath the landscape, a geoexchange system composed of 16 trenches, each roughly 10 feet deep and 150 feet long, taps the earth’s stable temperature to handle heating and cooling.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2026
Then make a 45-degree cut from the bed towards the first cut to form a trench that severs the root system of the nearby grass.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trench
Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
Its longer length offers a bit more coverage than a usual cropped raincoat, and is less cumbersome than a full-length trench.
—Alexandra Pereira, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026
Beneath the landscape, a geoexchange system composed of 16 trenches, each roughly 10 feet deep and 150 feet long, taps the earth’s stable temperature to handle heating and cooling.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2026
Then make a 45-degree cut from the bed towards the first cut to form a trench that severs the root system of the nearby grass.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trench
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trench
Noun
-
Afterward, Dole proposed to donate the dam, reservoir and ditch system to the state in exchange for an agreement to repair the spillway to meet and maintain dam safety standards.—
Audrey McAvoy,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Afterward, Dole proposed to donate the dam, reservoir and ditch system to the state in exchange for an agreement to repair the spillway to meet and maintain dam safety standards.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Roof inspections, gutter cleaning, and lawn prep are key exterior chores.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Points are awarded by zone, from 0 to 5; gutter balls subtract a point, while a ball that kisses the stake earns a perfect 10.—
Brittany Anas,
Denver Post,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 2024, Contra Costa County investigators searched a ravine and found the ladder Matthew Muller described using to climb into a family's house weeks after the March 2015 attack on Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The trees, lining the base of the ravine at the park’s narrow creek, have been turned to stumps and piles of branches.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trench.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trench. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
